This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters¹ and other major groups of eligible voters in Hawaii.² All demographic data are based on Pew Research Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey.³

Hispanics in Hawaii’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Hawaii is the 39th largest in the nation. About 131,000 Hispanics reside in Hawaii, 0.2% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Hawaii’s population is 9% Hispanic, the 21st largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
• There are 78,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii—the 32nd largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
• Some 8% of Hawaii eligible voters are Hispanic, the 12th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
• Some 60% of Hispanics in Hawaii are eligible to vote, ranking Hawaii third nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 84% of the state’s white population and 73% of the state’s Asian population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. About one-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii (35%) are ages 18 to 29, roughly the same as the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 22% of all Hawaii eligible voters and all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii, 11% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is a smaller share than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S. who are naturalized U.S. citizens, slightly lower than the 13% of all eligible voters in Hawaii and greater than 8% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Only about three-in-ten (31%) Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii are of Mexican origin, 33% are of Puerto Rican origin, and 35% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, 59% are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and 27% are of some other Hispanic origin.
• Educational Attainment. Some one-in-ten Latino eligible voters in Hawaii have not completed high school, about the same as the 8% of all Hawaii eligible voters who have not completed high school and lower than the 23% of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school. Some 20% of Hispanic eligible voters have a bachelor’s degree or more—higher than the 15% of Hispanics nationwide, but lower than the 28% of all Hawaiian eligible voters who have at least a bachelor’s degree.
• Homeownership. About four-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii (42%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Hawaii (62%) and all eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Hawaii, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. Asian eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii by about 5 to 1 and white eligible voters outnumber Hispanics by more than 3 to 1.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than Asian and white eligible voters in Hawaii. Some 35% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 14% of Asian eligible voters and 22% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white eligible voters in Hawaii. Some 10% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 4% of white eligible voters. A similar share of Asian eligible voters (11%) has not completed high school. But both Asians (30%) and whites (38%) are more likely to have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree than Hispanics (20%).
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (42%) are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (53%) or Asian (76%) eligible voters in Hawaii.